''Screen Directors Playhouse'' (sometimes written as ''Screen Directors' Playhouse'') is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadcast adaptations of films, with original directors of the films sometimes involved in the productions, although their participation was usually limited to introducing the radio adaptations and taking a brief "curtain call" with the cast and host at the end of the program. During the 1955–56 season, the series was seen on television, focusing on original teleplays and several adaptations of famous short stories (such as Robert Louis Stevenson's " Markheim").

Radio

The radio version ran for 122 episodes and aired on NBC from January 9, 1949, to September 28, 1951, under several different titles: ''NBC Theater'', ''Screen Directors Guild Assignment'', ''Screen Directors Assignment'' and, as of July 1, 1949, ''Screen Directors Playhouse''. Actors on the radio series included Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Tallulah Bankhead, Charles Boyer, Claudette Colbert,

Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor, starting his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then immigrating to the United States and having a successful Hollywood film career. He wa ...

, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich,

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

, Irene Dunne,

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...

, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, William Holden,

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

, William Powell,

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

, Norma Shearer,

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

, and Loretta Young.

Television

The television version, produced and filmed at

Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and business partners Dan Linthicum and I.H. Nance as the Rolin Film Company on Ju ...

, was broadcast for one season of 35 half-hour episodes on NBC, under the sponsorship of

Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

, airing from October 5, 1955, to June 1956. The final episodes aired on ABC ending on September 26, 1956. Hal Roach Studios produced the program, and members of the Screen Directors Guild directed the 30-minute filmed episodes. The guild used its income to support its educational and benevolent foundation. John Wayne appeared in the episode "Rookie of the Year", in "his only real dramatic role on TV", and Errol Flynn's first dramatic role on TV came in "The Sword of Villon". Billed in the opening credits of their respective television episodes are: Lee Aaker (episode 8), Lola Albright (episode 4), John Alderson (episode 35), Leon Ames (episode 5), Lew Ayres (episode 20), Lynn Bari (episode 4), Ralph Bellamy (episode 19), William Bendix (episode 35), John Bentley (episode 30), Charles Bickford (episode 11), Janet Blair (episode 28),

Ward Bond Wardell Edwin Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series ''Wagon Train'' from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Ber ...

(episode 10), Neville Brand (episode 4), Walter Brennan (episode 8), Hillary Brooke (episode 22), Joe E. Brown (episode 12), Edgar Buchanan (episode 8), Rory Calhoun (episodes 2 and 14), Macdonald Carey (episodes 18 and 32), Jack Carson (episode 4), Joan Caulfield (episode 32), Gower Champion (episode 27), Marge Champion (episode 27), Fred Clark (episode 5), Constance Cummings (episode 33), Linda Darnell (episode 30), Laraine Day (episodes 7 and 17),

Yvonne deCarlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and late ...

(episode 14), Brandon deWilde (episode 29), Bobby Driscoll (episode 2), James Dunn (episode 18), Leo Durocher (episode 17), Robert Easton (episode 15), Buddy Ebsen (episode 28),

Marilyn Erskine Marilyn Erskine (born April 24, 1926) is an American actress who started performing at the age of three on radio, and has since appeared in radio, theater, film and television roles from the 1920s through the 1970s. Personal life Erskine was bor ...

(episode 21), Frank Fay (episode 9), Errol Flynn (episode 22), Scott Forbes (episode 30), Wallace Ford (episode 20),

Sally Forrest Sally Forrest (born Katherine Feeney; May 28, 1928 – March 15, 2015), was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by Metro-Gol ...

(episode 5), Rita Gam (episode 19), Nancy Gates (episode 9), Leo Genn (episode 13), Greta Granstedt (episode 19), Barbara Hale (episode 1),

Don Hanmer Donald L. Hanmer (October 17, 1919 – May 24, 2003) was an American film actor. The Chicago-born actor began his career on Broadway, where he was considered once a big hit. He appeared in 90 films between 1945 until 1991. In 1966, he played a ...

(episode 3), Dick Haymes (episode 18),

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in ''Giant'' (1956). In the next ten years ...

(episode 35),

Kim Hunter Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 11, 1922 – September 11, 2002) was an American theatre, film, and television actress. She achieved prominence for portraying Stella Kowalski in the original production of Tennessee Williams' ''A Streetcar N ...

(episode 3),

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

(episode 12), Angela Lansbury (episode 24), Peter Lawford (episode 9), Cloris Leachman (episode 6), Sheldon Leonard (episode 15), Peter Lorre (episode 16), James Lydon (episode 5), Jeanette MacDonald (episode 17), Jimmy McHugh (episode 21),

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

(episode 21), Lotfi Mansouri (episode 34), Vera Miles (episode 10),

(episode 23), Sal Mineo (episode 26), Thomas Mitchell (episode 7),

George Montgomery George Montgomery may refer to: * George Montgomery (actor) (1916–2000), American actor *George Leslie Montgomery (c. 1727–1787), Irish Member of Parliament *George Montgomery (set decorator) (1899–1951), American set decorator * George Thoma ...

(episode 24),

Patricia Morison Eileen Patricia Augusta Fraser Morison (March 19, 1915 – May 20, 2018) was an American stage, television and film actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood and mezzo-soprano singer. She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on ...

(episode 26), Barry Nelson (episode 28), Edmond O'Brien (episode 25),

Dan O'Herlihy Daniel Peter O'Herlihy (May 1, 1919 – February 17, 2005) was an Irish actor of film, television, and radio. With a distinguished appearance and rich, resonant speaking voice, O'Herlihy's best known-roles included his Oscar-nominated portraya ...

(episode 7), Dennis O'Keefe (episode 15), ZaSu Pitts (episode 12),

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

(episode 19), Philip Reed (episode 13), Robert Ryan (episode 11), George Sanders (episodes 26 and 33),

Herb Shriner Herbert Arthur "Herb" Shriner (May 29, 1918 – April 23, 1970) was an American humorist, radio personality, actor, and television host. Shriner was known for his homespun monologues, usually about his home state of Indiana. He was frequently ...

(episode 1), Mary Sinclair (episode 28),

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

(episode 23), William Talman (episode 16), Casey Tibbs (episode 29), June Vincent (episodes 14 ot billed in opening creditsand 18),

(episode 10),

Pat Wayne Patrick John Morrison (born July 15, 1939), better known by his stage name Patrick Wayne, is an American actor. He is the second son of movie star John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz. He made over 40 films, including eleven w ...

(episode 10), Michael Wilding (episode 31), Fay Wray (episode 15), Teresa Wright (episode 16),

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

(episode 3), May Wynn (episode 13) and Alan Young (episode 6). But there was one difference between the two versions of the program: while the radio program had presented only condensed versions of well-known plays and films, the television version presented mostly original dramas. The directors of television episodes are: Lewis Allen, Claude Binyon,

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage (; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing '' 7th Heaven'' (1927), '' Street Angel'' (1928), '' Bad Girl'' (1931), '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1932), ''Man's ...

(3 episodes), John Brahm (2 episodes), David Butler, Gower Champion, William Dieterle,

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was ...

(2 episodes), John Ford, Tay Garnett (3 episodes), Hugo Haas, Byron Haskin,

Stuart Heisler Stuart Heisler (December 5, 1896 – August 21, 1979) was an American film and television director. He was a son of Luther Albert Heisler (1855–1916), a carpenter, and Frances Baldwin Heisler (1857–1935). He worked as a motion picture editor ...

, Ida Lupino, Leo McCarey (2 episodes),

Norman Z. McLeod Norman Zenos McLeod (September 20, 1898 – January 27, 1964) was an American film director, screenwriter and cartoonist. McLeod's most acclaimed work was made in collaboration with major comic performers of the 1930s, and included such films as ...

, George Marshall, Ted Post, H. C. Potter,

John Rich John Rich (born January 7, 1974) is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After d ...

, William A. Seiter,

George Sherman George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and producer of low-budget Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment industry." Biography George Sherma ...

, Andrew L. Stone,

Ted Tetzlaff Dale H. "Ted" Tetzlaff (3 June 1903, Los Angeles, California – 7 January 1995, Sausalito, California) was an Academy Award-nominated Hollywood cinematographer active in the 1930s and 1940s. Career Tetzlaff was particularly favored by t ...

Frank Tuttle Frank Wright Tuttle (August 6, 1892 – January 6, 1963) was a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 (''The Cradle Buster'') to 1959 (''Island of Lost Women''). Biography Frank Tuttle wa ...

, George Waggner (2 episodes) and Fred Zinnemann.''Screen Directors Playhouse'' at ''Classic TV Archive''
/ref>

Directors, vital dates, years of activity as director, episode titles, writers and broadcast dates

# Leo McCarey (1896–1969, 1921–62) "Meet the Governor" (October 5, 1955; also wrote) #

(1894–1962, 1913–61) "Day Is Done" (October 12, 1955; written by William Tunberg) # John Brahm (1893–1982, 1936–67) "A Midsummer Daydream" (October 19, 1955; written by William Saroyan) # George Waggner (1894–1984, 1938–67) "Arroyo" (October 26, 1955; also wrote) # William A. Seiter (1890–1964, 1915–60) "Want Ad Wedding" (November 2, 1955; written by Dane Lussier and Gertrude Walker) #

(1895–1964, 1928–63) "Life of Vernon Hathaway" (November 9, 1955; written by Barbara Merlin; story by

Richard Wormser Richard Edward Wormser (February 2, 1908 in New York City, New York – July, in Tumacaciori, Arizona) was an American writer of pulp fiction, detective fiction, screenplays, and Westerns, some of it written using the pseudonym of Ed Fri ...

) # Andrew L. Stone (1902–1999, 1927–72) "The Final Tribute" (November 16, 1955; also wrote; story by Octavus Roy Cohen) #

(1896–1979, 1936–64) "The Brush Roper" (November 23, 1955; written by William Tunberg and Fred Gipson; story by Gipson) # Leo McCarey (see no. 1) "Tom and Jerry" (November 30, 1955; written by Leo McCarey's daughter,

Mary McCarey Thomas Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was involved in nearly 200 films, the most well known today being ''Duck Soup'', ''Make Way for Tomorrow'', '' The Awful Tr ...

) # John Ford (1894–1973, 1917–66) "Rookie of the Year" (December 7, 1955; written by Frank Nugent; story by W. R. Burnett) # H. C. Potter (1904–1977, 1936–57) "Lincoln's Doctor's Dog" (December 14, 1955; written by

William R. Cox William Robert Cox (March 14, 1901 – July 7, 1988) was an American writer. He was a prolific writer of short stories and Western and Mystery novels mainly for the pulp and paperback markets. He wrote under at least six pseudonyms: Willard ...

; story by Christopher Morley) # George Marshall (1891–1975, 1916–72) "The Silent Partner" (December 21, 1955; also wrote; story by Barbara Hammer) #

(1903–1995, 1941–59) "The Titanic Incident" (December 28, 1955; written by

) # Tay Garnett (1894–1977, 1924–75) "Hot Cargo" (January 4, 1956; also story; written by David Dortort) #

(1885–1981, 1911–61) "It's Always Sunday" (January 11, 1956; written by D. D. Beauchamp; story by Jesse Goldstein and Frank Fox) # Ida Lupino (1918–1995, 1949–68) "No. 5 Checked Out" (January 18, 1956; also story; written by Willard Wiener) # David Butler (1894–1979, 1927–67) "Prima Donna" (February 1, 1956; written by Peter Milne and Gene Raymond; story by Raymond) #

(1908–1991, 1937–78) "Cry Justice" (February 15, 1956; written by Donald Hyde) # Byron Haskin (1899–1984, 1927–68) "Affair in Sumatra" (February 22, 1956; written by Michael Fessier; story by Hobart Donavan) # William Dieterle (1893–1972, 1923–68) "One Against Many" (March 7, 1956; written by

Donald S. Sanford Donald S. Sanford (March 17, 1918 – February 8, 2011) was an American television, radio and film screenwriter. Sanford was known for his work on numerous television series, as well as his role as the author of the screenplay for the 1976 World ...

; story by John Jacobs and Malvin Ward) # Claude Binyon (1905–1978, 1948–56) "It's a Most Unusual Day" (March 14, 1956; also wrote; story by

) # George Waggner (see no. 4) "The Sword of Villon" (April 4, 1956; written by Wilbur S. Peacock) # Fred Zinnemann (1907–1997, 1930–82) "Markheim" (April 11, 1956; written by John McGreevey and Paul Osborn

nother source indicates Alfred Harris Amalie Emmy NoetherEmmy is the '' Rufname'', the second of two official given names, intended for daily use. Cf. for example the résumé submitted by Noether to Erlangen University in 1907 (Erlangen University archive, ''Promotionsakt Emmy Noeth ...

story by Robert Louis Stevenson) #

(1892–1963, 1922–59) "Claire" (April 25, 1956; written by Philip MacDonald and George Sinclair; story by Ruth Capps) #

(see no. 2) "A Ticket for Thaddeus" (May 9, 1956; written by

A. I. Bezzerides Albert Isaac "Buzz" Bezzerides ( August 9, 1908 – January 1, 2007) was an American novelist and screenwriter, best known for writing films noir and action motion pictures, especially several of Warners' "social conscience" films of the 1940s. ...

; story by Rose C. Feld) # Hugo Haas (1901–1968, 1933–62) "The Dream" (May 16, 1956; written by John McGreevey

nother source indicates Richard Karlan and Patricia Karlan Amalie Emmy NoetherEmmy (given name), Emmy is the ''Rufname'', the second of two official given names, intended for daily use. Cf. for example the résumé submitted by Noether to Erlangen University in 1907 (Erlangen University archive, ''Promot ...

story by Ivan Turgenev) # Gower Champion (1921–1980, 1956–74) "What Day Is It?" (June 6, 1956; written by Jean Holloway) # Lewis Allen (1905–2000, 1943–77) "Every Man Has Two Wives" (June 13, 1956; written by

DeWitt Bodeen DeWitt Bodeen (July 25, 1908 — March 12, 1988) was an American film screenwriter and television writer best known for writing ''Cat People (1942 film), Cat People'' (1942). Biography Born Homer DeWitt Bodeen on July 25, 1908, in Fresno, Cali ...

and Frank Gill, Jr.; story by Thames Williamson) # Tay Garnett (see no. 14) "Partners" (July 4, 1956; also story; written by Winston Miller) # Ted Post (1918–2013, 1950–99) "White Corridors" (July 11, 1956; written by Irving Cooper and Helen Cooper) # Tay Garnett (see no. 14 and no. 29) "The Carroll Formula" (July 18, 1956; written by John L. Greene) #

(1925–2012, 1951–99) "Apples on the Lilac Tree" (July 25, 1956; written by Lee Loeb and Phil Shuken) # John Brahm (see no. 3) "The Bitter Waters" (August 1, 1956; written by Zoe Akins; story "Louisa Pallant" by Henry James) #

(see no. 2 and no. 25) "The Day I Met Caruso" (September 5, 1956; written by Zoe Akins; story by Elizabeth Bacon Rodewald) #

(see no. 15) "High Air" (September 12, 1956; written by

; story by

Borden Chase Borden Chase (January 11, 1900 – March 8, 1971) was an American writer. Career Early jobs Born Frank Fowler, he left school at fourteen went through an assortment of jobs, including driving for gangster Frankie Yale and working as a sandhog ...

)

Directors listed by number of "Best Director" Academy Award nominations

# Fred Zinnemann (seven): '' The Search'' (1948), ''

High Noon ''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in real time, centers on a town marshal whose sense of ...

'' (1952), '' From Here to Eternity'' (1953: winner), ''

The Nun's Story ''The Nun's Story'' is a 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme. It was a Book of the Month selection and reached #1 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Hulme wrote the book based partly upon the experiences of her friend, Marie Louise Habets of ...

'' (1959), '' The Sundowners'' (1960), '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966: winner) and '' Julia'' (1977) lso received three nominations as producer (1952: winner, 1960 and 1966: winner)# John Ford (five): '' The Informer'' (1935: winner), ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

'' (1939), '' The Grapes of Wrath'' (1940: winner), '' How Green Was My Valley'' (1941: winner) and '' The Quiet Man'' (1952: winner) lso received one nomination as producer (1952)# Leo McCarey (three): '' The Awful Truth'' (1937: winner), '' Going My Way'' (1944: winner) and '' The Bells of St. Mary's'' (1945) lso received four nominations for writing (1939, 1940, 1944: winner and 1952) and one nomination for original song (1958)#

(two): '' 7th Heaven'' (1927: winner) and Bad Girl (1931: winner) # William Dieterle (one): '' The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937)

Television episodes

Opening announcement: "''SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE''. Bringing you each week an outstanding original screenplay chosen and directed by one of the country's foremost motion picture directors."

Sources

Audio Classics Archive Radio Logs: ''Screen Directors Playhouse''

References

External links

*

at the TCM Movie Database
''Screen Directors Playhouse''
at TV Guide
''Screen Directors Playhouse'' at CATV with episode list
*

Listen to

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Screen Directors Playhouse 1955 American television series debuts 1956 American television series endings 1940s American radio programs 1950s American radio programs 1950s American drama television series American radio dramas Anthology radio series Black-and-white American television shows English-language television shows NBC original programming American Broadcasting Company original programming Radio programs based on films Radio programmes based on novels NBC radio programs